


Blue Bloods

by SweetsDreamer



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Nen, Constant change in point of views, Demons, Dragons, Fantasy, I say no Nen but they are using magic which is similar to Nen, M/M, Magic, Medieval setting?, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, The M tag is to be safe, Work not beta read
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:02:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27618071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetsDreamer/pseuds/SweetsDreamer
Summary: When war-hero Querof Wrlccyfr sends a letter to commoner Kurapika asking for his hand in marriage, Kurapika's entire family thinks its a hoax set up by an old friend. Only to find out the next morning that in fact, it isn't a hoax and the family might be descended from a previously unheard of noble house.
Relationships: Kurapika/Kuroro Lucifer | Chrollo Lucifer
Comments: 10
Kudos: 64





	Blue Bloods

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Laviente](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laviente/gifts).



> This is a gift-fic for the lovely Laviente! Happy Birthday hun! This year has been so draining in so many ways that I wanted to try something different to cheer you up. Stay in good health and have my best wishes for the following many years to come!
> 
> For anyone who gets confused, here's the name I gave the following characters:  
> Pirra: Kurapika's mother.  
> Rein: Kurapika's father.  
> Reoir: Pairo's father.  
> Yura: Pairo's mother.

“Kurapika stop!”

Pairo stumbled after his blond cousin, who looked back at him excitedly. Mercifully Kurapika had halted in his tracks. Pairo let out a breath as soon as he caught up to him before leaning against Kurapika’s side. The two boys stood near their village’s local bar, a quaint establishment five houses away from the square. It was the closest place they could get to without having to shove through adults’ legs, which ensured that they would not be separated.

Kurapika nodded at Pairo once before stepping in front of the threshold of the bar. Pairo watched the blond boy raise his arm confidently and rap on the wooden door. It opened immediately.

The owner, a young woman with shoulder length red hair stood on the other side. She smiled at the two boys who immediately greeted her with, 'Hello Mito!' Mito stepped back a little to let them enter the crowded bar. The Freeces bar was always filled with the villagers of Whale but today, it seemed to be at bursting capacity. Pairo noticed that some of the people sitting at the tables were clad from head to toe in loose white robes.

_Citizens of Ryusei_ , his mind supplied.

"Gon is waiting upstairs for you two," Mito said as she led them towards the staircase behind the bar. "Have fun watching the parade!" She turned away and faced her customers. Mito probably did not hear the hurried 'Thank You's from the two children. Pairo and Kurapika scrambled up the stairs as if their life depended on it. When they finally reached the topmost floor, Kurapika threw open the first door without even bothering to knock. On a normal day Pairo's eyes would have widened at the utter lack of manners from his prim and proper cousin but today was anything but normal.

The sole resident of the room, Mito's nephew / foster son, Gon, barely looked at them. He moved a bit towards the side of the window so that the other two boys will have space to stand in front of his bedroom window. The three of them looked outside, the square now clearly visible in front of their shining eyes.

The village of Whale was a quiet seaside place where the majority of the population consisted of farmers. When Kurapika and Pairo had been told that their family would settle there, they had been bored out of their minds by the dullness of the place. It was perhaps one of the reasons when a thing as simple as a parade made everyone in the village stop their businesses and act as if it were a holiday. So, it was no wonder that the arrival of foreign delegates from Ryusei, the city of the fallen star, had caused the state of hubbub to reach near the level of pandemonium.

Although not the tallest building in the village, Mito's ancestral home had a clear view of the square, where the procession shall be passing through. Both Kurapika's and Pairo's parents had refused to let them anywhere near the place, fearing that they might get lost (Pairo had a feeling Kurapika was the reason for this complete lack of trust, his cousin was always looking for adventures after all) so Mito had offered them to use the topmost floor of her home. They would also spend the night there to keep Gon company for Mito would be working all night thanks to the extra guests.

It was a clear day with the Sun's rays providing gentle warmth. The roads beneath were bustling with so many people dressed in their Sunday best that the light seemed to radiate from them. All the lanes leading up to the Square were filled with people, young and old, all waiting with baited breath for the foreign procession to come through. The middle of the Square was devoid of people however, no doubt to allow the incoming parade to pass through.

It took nearly an hour for the children to see the most glorious sight of their lives.

When the first horseman came into view, a wave seemed to pass through the people and soon a resounding cheer rose into the air.

The children had never seen a knight before. Their village was peaceful enough to not warrant such skilled warriors. All their knowledge of how a knight looked was based on picture books. The first knight they laid their eyes on looked very different from their imaginations.

None of the knights of Ryusei wore full armor. The only armor they wore covered their chest and back, with visible spikes on the shoulder pads. Except for the armor, everything else visible on their bodies was white. The turbans, the robes, even the shoes. Only the knights riding at the middle of the procession wore their helmets. It made them look imposing in the eyes of everyone present.

"Which one do you think is the Head?" Pairo asked in awe.

"Probably the one at the very centre," Kurapika replied; he was just as much as impressed as the other two boys in the small room. Gon nodded to the older boy's words, not even daring to blink lest he missed anything.

* * *

It was late evening when the crowd in the Square had finally dispersed. The children were still up in Gon’s room, excitedly discussing the day’s events. Kurapika’s mother had come in once to check on them during lunchtime after which she went downstairs to help Mito. The family farm where Pairo and Kurapika lived was near the outskirts of Whale so both of their parents had agreed to spend the night at the village centre. They were all in a celebratory mood anyway.

When the children's stomach began to grumble, Gon suggested that they go bring their dinner. Mito and the other adults had kindly allowed the children to stay together for the night, seeing as they were inseparable at the best of times. Thanks to the drunk villagers, they wouldn't be dining at the dining hall. Everyone was supposed to eat their meals in their rooms.

As they trooped down the creaky wooden staircase still chatting animatedly, Gon who was at the very front bumped against a muscular leg which led them to immediately stop. All three of them took a step back when they realized that the person Gon had collided against wasn't a random villager.

Just like all the other citizens of Ryusei, this man too was clad in robes of white. A scar ran along the side of his cheek, disappearing into the curve of his neck. Although the stairway was dimly lit, his dark skin gave off a shine for some reason. Thankfully the man did not look annoyed, just mildly surprised at seeing three children in a bar. His eyes scrutinized them before settling on Kurapika. It seemed to Pairo as if the man’s eyes lingered on his cousin for a second too long.

"I am sorry," Gon said, looking up at the stranger with his big brown eyes. "I didn't mean to bump into you."

All three of the children had seen their fair share of drunken adults flying into a rage at the slightest provocation, Gon more so than the others. They were anticipating a scolding at best, not gentle laughter.

"It's alright, young man." The stranger said and ruffled Gon's hair casually. "I am too silent for my own good."

The children liked him immediately.

"I think I might be a little lost however. I was looking for the washroom. Would you mind helping me gentlemen?"

At the word 'gentlemen', the three children practically glowed. "Yes sir!" Gon piped up. "It's the door beneath the staircase. You can't miss it." The man ruffled Gon's hair once more and said "Thank you" before heading off in the direction offered by Gon. He looked back at them once more before opening the door of the stall, a smile still present on his face.

Pairo wasn't sure if it was his imagination but the man's eyes still lingered on Kurapika.

* * *

Dinner had been prepared by Mito with the help of Kurapika's and Pairo's mothers. The three families were close and they often helped each other out when they were having trouble in their respective business. Pairo's mother handed them the trays containing their dinners (fried corn in soy sauce, hot rye breads and soup) and warned them to be careful of strangers. Immediately, the three boys told her about the nice man Gon had bumped into.

"He sounds nice enough," Pairo's mother mused. "But don't give him your names if he asks you." She ushered them out of the dining hall after that.

The nice Ryusei stranger was surprisingly standing at the bottom of the staircase. It made Pairo wary. Why would an adult stand here unless he was waiting for them?

"Hello gentlemen." The man said in a cheery voice. "I was hoping I would get to see you again."

Pairo exchanged a glance with the other two boys. The man stood there expectantly waiting for their reply. He didn’t seem annoyed by the furtive glances the children shared with each other. Finally, Kurapika worked up his courage and said, “ It’s nice to see you again too sir. Did you need our help?” The man nodded.

“As a matter of fact I do.” He replied and pointed at Kurapika. “Can I talk to your guardians? If they are not available, either one of your guardians will do too.” He nodded at Gon and Pairo.

The boys shared another look. Most people who wanted to talk to their parents did not have anything good to say about them. The man seemed to have caught on to what they were thinking. He laughed a little and said, “Don’t worry gentlemen. I just wanted to ask them for a favour.”

“Alright mister!” Gon replied brightly. “Our parents are still working though.”

“You can talk to my mother,” Pairo piped up. “I will take you to her.”

“We will come too!” Gon and Kurapika both added.

So with their warm dinner gradually getting colder in their arms by the minute, the three boys trooped back to the dining hall with the Ryusei man in tow. Pairo’s mother was flipping the pages of the order pad. The dining hall was situated at the back of the establishment while the bar was at the front. Despite the thick wooden walls, the raucous from the bar could still be heard in the hall. She could barely hear the footsteps of the children, her concentration fixed on the job at hand. Her son's voice made her jump a little.

"Mum this man wanted to talk to you," Pairo said brightly. The dark stranger smiled and strode forward. He extended her arm to Pairo's mother and said pleasantly, "Nice to meet you madam. I am Xioc from the Western desert tribe."

"Oh," Pairo's mother appeared flustered as she shook his hands. "It's nice to meet you too sir." She glanced at the children. "Did they do anything to inconvenience you?"

The man's smile broadened. "Of course not." He said easily. "I wanted to ask you for a favour. Before that..." The man, Xioc turned towards the children once more. "I think you should go finish your dinner gentlemen. I can hear your stomachs grumbling."

Pairo liked the man immensely.

* * *

"When did Mito close the bar Gon?" Kurapika asked. The sounds of revelry in the streets had only increased with the progression of night. The people of Whale had no intention of putting a stop to the celebrations, although it was another country's army marching on their lands. On a normal day, Mito would have closed the bar by two in the morning. The clock sitting atop the mantelpiece in Gon's room showed that it was already half past five in the morning. The children had barely been able to sleep. The excitement of the day and discussions about the nice Ryusei stranger had kept them up quite late into the night. Exhaustion had finally caught up to Pairo and he slept peacefully, unaware of the conversation the other two occupants were having at the break of dawn. The cool sea air which rushed inside made them shiver, causing Kurapika to pull the blanket closer to his chin.

A night like yesterday meant good business for Mito. The adults had in fact been so busy that none of them came to check up on the three boys once during the course of the night. Or they might just be too exhausted. Either way, the children were glad that no one scolded them for staying up too late.

Gon blinked once then yawned. He was clearly trying to process what Kurapika just said, his brain too tired to register a conversation now. He was barely able to mumble "Probably at three."

"Thank you Gon. Sleep tight."

A soft unintelligible sound was all he got in reply.

* * *

Kurapika was awoken in the morning by his mother’s shaking. She looked just as tired as he felt; her eyebags had become more prominent over the course of one night. Stretching a little, he watched his mother gently wake up the other two boys. It made his eyes narrow, she had not been that considerate when waking him up.

The morning in Whale felt especially cold that day. The three boys were shivering while washing themselves. Even after wearing their clothes, their teeth continued to chatter. Breakfast was a muted affair in the Freecss dining hall. The adults chewed on their bread half-heartedly while the children drowsed off most of the time. Suddenly Pairo’s mother gasped and said in an excited voice, “Oh dear I almost forgot! A Ryusei man came to talk with me last night.”

Immediately, the children’s heads snapped up, eyes alert with glowing curiosity. Their tiredness had made them temporarily forget about Xioc or else they would have hounded Pairo’s mother for details about the conversation she had with the man.

“Ryusei men have a bad reputation Yura,” Pairo’s father grumbled. “You shouldn’t have talked to him alone.”

“But he was nice!” Gon protested which was followed by a vehement ‘Yes’ from Pairo. Constant raids by barbarians and Kakin’s armies had led to Ryusei earning the reputation of being the ‘Trash of the world’ but two decades back, things had changed. Apparently the people had overthrown their former King and established a ‘Democracy’. They even had a fearsome army which had beat back multiple attempts of invasion by the Kakin empire. It bothered Pairo that his father was still so old-fashioned.

“Oh hush Reoir,” Yura smacked his arm. “He was really nice. In fact he said that he wanted to talk to all of three of our families properly. He even gave me a note with details of where he is staying in Whale.”

Gon noticed that Mito had gone very quiet. While Kurapika’s parents asked for more details about the stranger, his aunt seemed to be lost in thoughts.

“What do you say Rein? He sounds decent, this Xioc. Why don’t we meet him?” Kurapika’s mother asked her husband excitedly. Kurapika looked at her with fondness in his eyes. She might annoy him most of the time but he had definitely inherited her curiosity. A stranger from the mystical desert of Ryusei had peaked both of their curiosities. Rein was rather laidback compared to his wife and son. Kurapika loved him too, for he shared his love for knowledge with his father.

"I don't see why we should not. It must be something important if he wants to talk to simple villagers like us. I think that the Ryusei party will leave soon anyway," Rein thought out loud. "We must not keep him waiting." This caused all eyes to turn towards Gon's aunt.

“What do you think, Mito?” Yura asked.

For a few minutes, Mito continued to be lost in her thoughts. Although the youngest among the adults, Mito had a certain gravitas which made everyone listen to her with rapt attention. She sighed a little and finally declared, “Yes I think we should.”

With the majority voting against him, Reoir grumbled before finally giving his consent.

Kurapika grinned at Gon and Pairo in sheer delight. They couldn't wait to meet the man again.

"Should we meet him today?" Pirra, Kurapika's mother, asked. We will have work tomorrow."

"Then let's go meet him now," Reoir said. "Better not to drag this out."

"Can we come too?" Gon asked.

"I don't see why not," Rein said thoughtfully. The children cheered. Gon couldn't help but notice that his aunt did not seem happy with that decision.

* * *

The delegates from Ryusei had gone over to the city of Zaban for the signing of the peace treaty with the land of Padokia. The city wasn't far from the village of Whale, so Ryusei had hired mercenaries to stay in the village as a protective measure in case there was an attack from the sea. Xioc turned out to be the leader of this group of mercenaries. They found Xioc at the reception of the inn talking to his comrades. He smiled as soon as he saw Gon, who was leading their group along with Yura. He said something to the innkeeper before meeting them.

"Hello. I wasn't expecting to see you gentlemen so soon." The man grinned at the three children. In the morning light, Pairo thought he looked more fearsome, his pale scar in sharp contrast to his dark face. His smile was gentle however, making him appear almost like a gentle giant. Pairo wouldn't be surprised if the man was seven feet tall. Both Kurapika and him barely came up to Xioc's waist. Gon looked like a baby beside him. A fact that seemed to have been noticed by his father. Reoir did not look as amazed as his son however.

"I would like to introduce my son to you," Xioc said before bellowing out, "Chrollo!"

The boy who stepped out from the dining hall did not resemble Xioc in the least. He was shorter and stockier than his father. His skin was extremely pale, almost as if he had not seen sunlight in days. His short dark hair fell like a curtain over his forehead. Chrollo silently came to stand beside Xioc and greeted them politely. He did not smile at the children. Pairo wondered if he was annoyed by their presence.

Xioc rested his hand on Chrollo's shoulder and said, "Why don't you stay with these gentlemen and get to know them ? I have some important matters to discuss." He nodded at the three children with a wink in his eye.

The look in Chrollo's eyes could only be described as mutinous. Pairo's opinion of him was heading towards unlikeability with each second.

"Alright," Chrollo said. He did not even bother to look a little cheerful.

"Good for you lad," Xioc said before directing his attention towards the adults. "Let's go to the dining hall, we have a lot to talk about."

Kurapika shared a look with his two companions. It was obvious Xioc didn't want to tell them whatever it was he was going to tell their parents. The question was will their parents talk to them about what they were going to talk with Xioc now? If it was serious enough that they needed a babysitter, chances were high they would not.

The children stayed silent in front of Chrollo. They weren't sure how to open conversation with him since he looked bored just by standing next to them. Finally, Chrollo had to break the stalemate.

"Why don't we go sit over there?" He suggested, pointing his finger at the single worn down couch in the reception area. The children didn't move a muscle, making the older boy sigh.

"You know Xioc is going to kill me if he sees you three near the dining room right?" Chrollo said. His voice was a deep baritone like a grown man’s. _He doesn’t look much older than us, Pairo thought._ The three children shuffled after him obediently, still not sure what to say to him. Chrollo sat down beside Gon with a sigh. He extended his hand forward and a book appeared out of thin air in it.

All thoughts of Xioc and the secret conversation he was about to have with their parents disappeared from the three children's minds without a trace.

"You are a magician?!" Pairo said, his voice loud due to the shock. Both Gon and Kurapika stared at him, tongue tied. A slow smile finally spread across Chrollo's face, making him appear incredibly smug. "Oh yes." He practically crooned. "I passed the magic exam five years back."

Both Kurapika and Pairo thought: _Smug Bastard._

Gon asked in a voice filled with awe, "So how old are you now?" Chrollo visibly puffed up at his question. Clearly it was something to be very proud of.

"I will be turning seventeen this winter." The smugness in his voice was practically oozing out.

Kurapika's mind immediately did the math. _Five years back means he was twelve at most. The same age Pairo and I are. We have barely started our training with our Bokken._

Chrollo definitely had something to be proud of. However, his smugness irked Kurapika to no end.

"Can you throw fireballs?" Gon asked excitedly. He would have climbed up on Chrollo's lap if it weren't for Kurapika's grip on his shoulder.

"Of course!" He said, "But I can't do it here, it might burn the village down."

Pairo and Gon were mind blown to say the least. A tiny part of Kurapika, the part which was drowning in jealousy, wanted to lash out and tell him that he wasn't special and Kurapika had been declared a prodigy by their school's headmaster a month back. He held his tongue for now. His time would come later. So he only asked in the most level voice he could muster, “What is that book about?”

“Ah.” Chrollo shifted a bit uncomfortably. “Nothing much. It’s just a storybook.” That made Kurapika’s eyes shine.

“Can I see? I like reading.” He informed the older boy. Chrollo hesitated a second before handing the book over to him.

Kurapika stared at the cover of the book. It was hard-cover but it looked incredibly worn out. The words on the cover were not in a language Kurapika recognized. He didn't know much about the official language of Ryusei but he could recognize the text. The book must be very old and it must have been expensive when it was first published.

Pairo and Gon had leaned in closer to look at the book too. The pages looked as if it would crumble into dust at any moment. Seeing that he could not decipher one word of the given text, he gave the book back to Chrollo and asked, "What is the story about?"

"Sorry I can't tell you," Chrollo said precociously, "It's only for grown ups."

The statement made Kurapika seethe. All the goodwill Chrollo had managed to muster with Pairo too faded away. Only Gon's eyes seemed to shine with undisguised adoration. Before Kurapika could retort however, he noticed his parents had stepped out of the dining hall along with the other adults. The blond child held his tongue once more. He would show Chrollo just what he was capable of, he would! Instead of the insults he was longing to lash out, Kurapika sweetly asked, "How long will you be staying in Whale Chrollo?"

Chrollo replied rather distractedly, "A week." His eyes were fixed on the approaching figure of Xioc, his body tense. The book had disappeared from his hand. Kurapika said 'Okay' cheerfully back to him. Chrollo didn't reply back, not that it mattered.

"I see you all have become friends," Xioc said to them, his voice had a pleased note to it. "Chrollo didn't bore you with his books, I hope." Immediately Gon launched into defense of his new-found hero, telling Xioc about how cool Chrollo was. Kurapika wanted to scoff. He wasn't that _awesome._

Xioc chuckled at Gon's words. Pairo looked at his parents. They looked...shocked. What could Xioc have probably talked to them about? His eyes moved to Mito, noticing she looked more terrified than the shock which Kurapika's and his parents were sporting. Xioc was nice enough but if he had said anything terrible to Mito, he would never forgive him.

"Let's go home kids, we have a lot of work to do today," Pirra called out. She seemed shaken but she seemed to be much more in control than the others. She turned to Xioc and thanked him for meeting them on behalf of everyone. Mito and Yura shuffled the children out of the inn.

Once everyone was outside and had waved one last time to Xioc and his son, the children were hurried off to their respective homes. None of their parents or guardians answered their repeated questions about the conversation they had had with Xioc. It affected Kurapika the most, he wasn't used to his parents hiding things from him. He remained sullen for the rest of the evening, his mood worsening when his parents asked about Chrollo. Despite his earlier resentment at his parents, Kurapika found himself feeling better once he had ranted about what a show-off Chrollo was.

* * *

It turned out that Chrollo was a good story-teller. That put a damper on Kurapika's envy because he spent the entire week (with Gon and Pairo of course) begging him for stories about adventuring knights. They happened to find out about this particular talent of the older boy thanks to Gon's insistence of visiting him every afternoon once school got over. Chrollo knew languages from the Kakin empire (another feather in his cap which Kurapika wanted to pluck out) and he was well-read. Thus, despite his misgivings, Kurapika found himself getting attached to the smug Ryusei boy.

A week is a long period of time when one has to spend it with a person they dislike. It becomes a short period of time when one realizes that the very same person is more interesting than what meets the eye. Such was the case when Chrollo's stay at Whale came to an end. Kurapika found himself consoling his devastated friends, his own heart heavy that he won't get to hear more stories.

"You can write to him you know," Rein said to the three children. "Just ask him for his address."

It was Xioc however who readily gave them the address. He even promised them that that they wouldn't have to pay for sending their letters, since he was a high ranking official of Ryusei and there were certain perks that came with the position.

On the day of farewell, Chrollo remained stoic. He did not say a word when Gon and Pairo hugged him or when Kurapika shook his arm. Kurapika had a feeling that he was happy to be rid of them, probably because they were badgering him every day of his stay in Whale. Xioc hugged each of the children and promised once more that he would send them letters. Chrollo only said with his usual smile, "I will see you all again."

A tiny part of Kurapika would miss him.

* * *

True to his promise, the letters they sent to Xioc did not cost them a single Jenny. The first letter came from Xioc within a week of their departure. The bird that carried his letter was enormous. According to Xioc's letter, the bird was called Colt and it had been raised in the mystical forests of NGL. The three children decided to take turns in writing him back. As time passed they even exchanged small gifts like flower seeds.

However the letters stopped coming when Kurapika turned eighteen. It was the year when war between Ryusei and Kakin had finally broken out. They assumed that Xioc was busy so they had not worried much. It was sad that they did not have any other means of contacting him other than Colt. This led to Gon taking up his magic studies more seriously. Looking back on it, Kurapika thought that Xioc had a rather major influence on any decision the three friends made, despite having known him only for a week. Sometimes Chrollo had written to them too but it would mostly be about the latest book he had gotten his hand on.

They spent an entire year without any news from Xioc. Finally, on the eve of Gon's departure to the academy of Zaban, a letter came from Chrollo. It contained only three spine-chilling letters: _Xioc is dead._

The letter they sent asking for an explanation and if Chrollo was safe went unanswered. But Chrollo did not write back to them. Newspapers in Padokia said that Ryusei had suffered devastating losses. They could only pray for Chrollo's safety.

* * *

The most surprising development in the lives of the three families took place the year Kurapika turned twenty one.

The fishery business which Pairo's and Kurapika's fathers had worked so hard on was flourishing that year. The village of Whale had become a busy port city then. Their wealth was modest compared to the few nobles who lived near them but they had become quite well-known in their community.

Both cousins now eligible bachelors, Kurapika received quite a few proposals almost every other week. The fathers of nearly all eligible ladies swarmed Pairo and him the second they stepped out of their homes. There were a few men too who tended to flock around Kurapika. Their numbers had steadily increased once they heard about his friendship with the new doctor in town.

Initially, Kurapika had scoffed at all the rumors surrounding him and Leorio, the young apprentice of the famed noble, Lady Cheadle. He had come to Whale on behalf of House Yorkshire, making him quite a powerful figure in the small group of nobles in Zaban. After a candid chat with Pairo, he wasn't sure if he could dismiss the rumors easily anymore.

Leorio proven different from his expectations from the very start. When Kurapika had first heard of him, he had expected a man concerned only about his social standing. Contrary to his expectations, Leorio hardly ever interacted with the nobles unless it was a housecall. He spent most of his time in his small clinic, treating commoners and nobles alike. Kurapika, Pairo and Gon had become quite good friends with him since he usually came to Mito's bar on his day off. The only vice Kurapika believed him to possess was his love for money. He was also weak to beautiful people apparently. Sometimes, Kurapika thought that it was a wonder how Leorio could possibly be so selfless.

Recently though, Leorio had started acting weirdly around him. He seemed to be visibly annoyed by Kurapika's ever-increasing number of suitors when in the beginning he had laughed at them. It wasn't a development Kurapika had noticed at first until Pairo pointed it out to him. The little signs that had started adding up bothered him quite a bit and he did not know what he should do. He felt like avoiding Leorio but Kurapika knew it would be unfair to him. Leorio was a good friend and it was fun to be around him.

If only he knew how soon things were about to change for him and the village of Whale.

* * *

It had been a tiresome day.

The Sun's rays had been scorching. Despite his shower, Kurapika still felt sweat clinging to his skin almost as if it had formed an impervious layer all over him. A day spent working on the fields meant he would be too tired to sit for the entirety of dinner. That day, he felt too tired to even lift a finger. His stomach grumbling in protest made him get up with a weary sigh.

He had barely closed the door of his room when suddenly, he heard a dull thud. Kurapika rushed back in, worried that one of his precious books might have fallen off from his bedside table (he would ask for a new shelf once the harvest festival came, there was no space in the old one). The candle lights flickered, not giving him enough luminescence to see what had caused the sound in the first place. All his books seemed to be in place. He moved towards his study table and found everything to be intact there too.

Kurapika gave his room another cursory glance. Every material possession he owned sat in their places undisturbed. Just when he was starting to think he had imagined the source of the sound, a soft clink came from his casement window. Kurapika immediately moved towards it, surprised to see a very large bird standing on his windowsill. As soon as he opened it, the window sill jutted outwards causing the bird to flap away with a loud screech. It flew back inside his room and came to rest on his bed. The large bird stared at Kurapika with a beady eye before holding out its scrawny leg in his direction. Kurapika's eyes shone.

_"Colt!"_

* * *

His lethargy forgotten, Kurapika bounded down the stairs in search of Pairo with Colt perched precariously on his shoulder. He was burning with curiosity but the dim lighting in his room meant that he had to come down to the dining hall to read the letter. Besides, he didn't want Pairo strangling him for reading a letter that was usually meant for the three of them. A letter from Chrollo had always been addressed to the three of them.

Kurapika felt a guilty twinge that he wouldn’t be able to show the letter to Gon. Gon would be coming back for his summer holidays, which was almost a month away. Although Gon had avoided all mention of Ryusei, Kurapika was sure he would come running if he heard about this letter.

_The letter…_

Unlike all the previous letters, this one looked more...official. The envelope felt as if it had been made from silk instead of the scratchy paper he was used to. What bothered him the most was the colour of the envelope; a rich shade of purple - the official colour of Ryusei’s Senate. Chrollo must be an important figure in the land of Ryusei now, his mind concluded. He might have taken over Xioc’s position. _Nice of him to write back after three years._

Both Pairo and Yura stared at Kurapika, surprise quite evident on their faces. It had been a while since they last saw the blond boy skipping the last three steps of the stairway. Yura even let out a little shriek when Colt left Kurapika’s shoulder and flew straight towards her, making Kurapika laugh. A few feathers landed on the dining table making Pairo groan (He had been setting the table for dinner.) The rest of the family came rushing into the dining hall due to all the commotion. Yura had sat down on the floor due to the shock of having a gigantic bird fly straight at her face. Colt’s beak rubbed her shoulder, the bird’s way of saying he was sorry.

“Pairo what’s going on?” Pirra asked, her eyes as wide as saucers staring at the mess the dining room had become. Before Pairo could reply, Kurapika held up the letter and said out loud, “I think Chrollo has finally written back!”

_“What?!”_

* * *

After Colt had been given some scrapings from their dinner and some water, they found out that the letter was in fact, not from Chrollo. It wasn’t addressed to Kurapika either.

In the better lighting of the dining room (the only part of the house having blue fire - a magical artifact that provides fire whose heat could be adjusted according to the temperature outside), Kurapika could see that the golden lettering said: _‘To Lady Pirra and Lord Rein of House Kurta.’_ The elegant lettering did not seem anything like Chrollo’s handwriting.

_House Kurta?_

_This had to be a mistake. It sounded like a noble house’s name. There was no way his mother or father was a noble. If she was she would have told him. His father would have told him. His father was a commoner. Nobles never married commoners. Neither his father nor mother had titles. Why did it call them ‘Lord and Lady’?_

Pairo nudged Kurapika’s shoulder and said, “Stop overthinking.”

“I am not overthinking anything!” He said defensively. Pairo raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Then why are your eyebrows all scrunched up?”

Pirra looked just as bewildered as Kurapika as she took the letter from her son and tore open the envelope. Rein peered at the letter and started reading out loud:

_I pay my most humble respects to the ancient House of Kurta, the proud keeper of the Scarlet Eyes. I am privileged enough to be one of the few individuals left in charge of a part of your House’s treasure. I would like to discuss the matter with all the members of the House of Kurta. It would be a matter of great pride for me if you graced my humble abode with your presence. Secondly, if I may be so bold, I would like to ask your Lordship’s and Ladyship’s permission to court their heir, the honourable Kurapika, the promised guardian of the Scarlet Eyes. Please do not dismiss my request as that of a madman’s ravings, for I truly would pursue my love with the utmost devotion and respect. Sincerely, the guardian of the golden sands, Querof Wrlccyfr._

Kurapika felt as if someone had struck his chest with a hammer.

* * *

_“Querof? As in war hero ‘Querof Wrlccyfr’?”_ Pairo managed to ask, too stunned to make sense of the other contents of the letter. Kurapika laughed shakily.

“It must be a joke.” The blond declared with certainty. “This must be some sort of joke from Chrollo. He is probably trying to break the ice after three years with a joke.”

“I think this is a hoax,” Pirra declared angrily. “I have never heard of a noble house that is named the Kurtas!” The declaration was followed with approval by the rest of the family. Neither Kurapika’s uncle nor aunt had heard of anything about ‘Scarlet Eyes’ or ‘House of Kurta’. What bothered them however was the proposal.

“I will write to the address and give them a piece of my mind,” Pirra continued to fume at the dining table.Both Kurapika and Pairo barely said a word throughout dinner. The blond kept glancing at Colt, who seemed too tired to make another journey. “Has war made Chrollo go crazy?”

_The handwriting isn’t Chrollo’s_ , Kurapika thought once more.

“Calm down Pirra,” Rein patted his angry wife’s shoulder. His voice lacked it’s usual warmth and there was a distant look in his normally friendly eyes. “You can’t be too rude. Did you see the envelope and the paper? Even if it isn’t Querof, whoever wrote it must be an important official in Ryusei. Even Xioc’s letters weren’t that fancy.” Reoir grunted in agreement.

“Chrollo must have something to do with this,” Yura observed. Do you think he works for Querof now?”

As the discussion continued, Kurapika felt that it was providence that Gon would not be hearing about this letter anytime soon.

* * *

The next morning, it turned out that the letter was not a malicious hoax after all.

The entire family had barely sat down for breakfast when someone rang their doorbell. Despite his morning bath, Kurapika still felt sleepy. So when he opened the front door to find two unfamiliar well-dressed men instead of the usual worker from their fields, Kurapika felt he wasn’t to blame for yawning in their faces. The yawn had clearly made a bad impression on these two men, one of whom wrinkled his nose at Kurapika’s lack of propriety. Which led to the blond to ask them irritatedly, “Who are you?”

The man who had not wrinkled his nose at him said in a gravelly voice, “We are the Zoldycks m’ boy.” He was an old man bent double with age, his white hair artfully brushed to resemble that of a dragon’s mane.

After last night, Kurapika was starting to get irritated at the mention of noble houses. “I am sure you are.” He said acidly. “What can I do for you, your highnesses?” To his further irritation, the old man threw his head back and laughed. The other man remained stoic, his expression showing nothing but disdain. They both waited for the old man to finish laughing with varying levels of patience.

“You won’t ask us in, m’ boy?” The old man finally managed to say while wiping tears from his sunken eyes. “You should save that cheek of yours for Querof m’ boy. Would be nice if you manage to bring him down by a notch.”

Kurapika did not like this man and his companion at all. His words also made him nervous. _Were they being watched?_

* * *

At least the old man was cheerful. His partner was depressing Kurapika with his very presence. All of them had gathered at the parlour, Kurapika and the rest of his family feeling rather cantankerous at their supposedly important guests because they had to abandon their warm breakfast halfway through. The older man had sat down on Yura'a favorite pink sofa, smiling at them benignly. The other man stood to his side, stiff and silent like a statue. Kurapika couldn't even see him blink.

Pairo studied the guests silently, bewildered by their appearance. Judging by the gold patterning around the cuff of their clothes, there was no doubt that they were rich. The old man's rather eccentric hairstyle meant that he came from the city. Pairo could also tell that his father did not think much of their guests.

The old man cleared his throat and turned in Pirra's direction.

"You must be Lady Pirra, I presume." He said with a smile. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Zeno Zoldyck, previous leader of the House of Zoldyck, advisor to the current leader of the Zoldyck House."

_There it was again,_ Kurapika thought. _Zoldyck my foot. That family would never interact with a commoner in a million years._ He saw suspicion cross both his mother’s and aunt Yura’s visage. For now though, it would probably be best to humor Zeno who was still smiling at them. Finally, Pirra answered the man.

“Yes I am Pirra but I think you are making a mistake Lord...” The man cut Pirra off with a shake of his head.

“There is no need to address me formally,” Zeno said. “By rank your position is much higher than mine.”

“But I don’t have any titles,” Pirra said frustatedly. “My parents, grandparents as well as great-grandparents were commoners.” Zeno nodded and simply said, “I know. However, your bloodline is rather ancient my lady.” He looked at Reoir and added, “So is yours, Lord Reoir.”

This was turning into a frustrating situation. However before either Pirra or Reoir could retort, Zeno said, “Before I show you further proof that I am indeed a Zoldyck and I am not joking about your ancestry, may I please take a look at the engagement letter?”

Kurapika stared at him wide-eyed. _I knew it, w_ _e are being stalked._

Zeno looked at him square in the eye and said, “I haven’t spied on you. Querof sent me a letter too about his engagement plans.”

Kurapika felt unnerved. How come a war-hero did not have the basic decency to inform the person he wanted to marry about his engagement plans?

The loud chime of the doorbell made everyone jump from their skins except for Zeno and his silent statue-like companion. It was starting to bother Pairo that their guests felt more comfortable in their home than them. Before he could even move a muscle however, the old man said, “It’s alright, Gotoh will get it.”

The silent man, Gotoh, bowed once and walked towards the front door of their household. Even his footsteps were silent. Within a few seconds, Gotoh came back with a woman dressed in a similar attire as him, a short woman with green hair and Leorio.

_Of all people_.

Pairo's eyes snapped back up at the short green-haired woman and he almost did a double take. He had seen the lady a number of times in the newspaper. _Cheadle Yorkshire, the Head of House Yorkshire._

Cheadle Yorkshire was a short woman who always wore the nation's official dress for nurses, despite being a doctor ( _To inspire respect for nurses_ , Pairo remembered reading in a newspaper once). She nodded her head at the old man and simply said, "Zeno." Zeno returned her curt nod with a smile. "Leorio, your friends are having trouble believing who I am." He said amicably to the young doctor.

Leorio's eyes flitted nervously between Zeno's and Kurapika's. He didn't need to say it out loud. Leorio's presence in their home guaranteed the identity of the nobles.

Kurapika, Pairo and both their parents thought: _This is not going to be good._

The family stood up, not sure what the exact protocol for greeting a noble was. However they were sure that nobles did not like it when commoners sat down with them. Their action caused Zeno to finally frown.

"Please sit down." It was Cheadle who spoke to them. "We have a lot of things to discuss." She had a no-nonsense edge to her voice which made her sound like an overly strict teacher disciplining her students.

“I would like to talk to the family alone before that,” Zeno said, his eyes resting on Cheadle. “Wait with Gotoh and Amane, I will call you when we are done.”

For a moment, Pairo felt as if Cheadle would deny him his request. However, she simply said ‘All Right’ and left the room followed by Leorio and Gotoh. The latter shut the parlor door behind him, causing a rather ominous feeling to descend upon Kurapika.

“Now,‘ Zeno wasn’t smiling anymore. His eyes looked rather steely.

“Can I see the letter?”

**Author's Note:**

> I surprisingly managed to write 7k+ words and it's only the first chap omg. Once again, I hope you enjoy this story filled with magic and mythical beasts Laviente! I am going to try and combine some of your great love in this fic hehehe. I am going to post the next chap within a week if all things go well. Don't worrry, this story already has its ending planned out so I won't take forever to post it. Until next time!


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